Reviews
 Keep It Simple
Van Morrison
Roger McGuinn @ the Huntington IMAC, Long Island, NY - April 4, 2008
Emily Saxe @ the Allen Room/Jazz at Lincoln Center - April 5, 2008
Another Country
Tift Merritt
Be Your Own Pet
Get Awkward
Paul McCartney – The McCartney Years (DVD)
Juno – Music from the Motion Picture
Various Artists
Yes - Their Definitive Story
Day and Night Driving
Seven Mary Three
InterMedia Arts Center 2/2/08
Huntington, NY
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John Mayer
Rather than beat around the bush, I’m going to cut right to the chase; John Mayer is as talented a singer/songwriter as anybody who’s come along in the past few years.
"Music For Squares" displays an artistic agility and confidence that goes WAY beyond this artist’s age. Still in his early twenties, John Mayer might single-handedly provide enough evidence that teen-based pop is on its way to the tarpits. How wonderful is it that a contemporary of ‘N Sync is capable of enough artistic maturity to completely dwarf his ‘peers’ (in age only)?
"Music For Squares" overflows with sharply honed but comfortable arrangements of well-considered songs, suggesting at times a smokier, more sultry version of the Dave Matthews Band, or Seal without all of the brooding moodiness. The leadoff track – and if there’s any justice in this world, the first hit single – "No Such Thing" is a flawless pop gem, performed with exuberant confidence that is never overstated. Indeed, it’s the subtleties of this album that cause it to stand out. "Why Georgia" and "My Stupid Mouth" are equally engaging, with clever lyrical twists that clearly indicate an insightful, probing lyricist is at work. The album’s masterwork might be "City Love," a gorgeous mood-piece aided by tasteful orchestral accompaniment. At times, the instrumentation suggests overly slick, mid-seventies, jazz-rock styles, but they are somehow less deleterious than I would expect. Maybe we’ve moved so far away from the punk ethos that it is no longer a detriment to be ‘too slick’. No matter.
It is becoming more and more obvious that a resurgence in talented singer/songwriters is well under way; David Gray, Ryan Adams, Pete Yorn, David Mead, and now, John Mayer. It’s always exciting to hear a major new talent before they get huge, so you ought to jump on John Mayer’s bandwagon, before it’s too late to say, "I knew him when…"
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